1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to methods and systems for compiling and publishing process execution status data such as work-in-process information, for fabrication and processing equipment of manufacturing lines from manufacturing execution systems. More particularly, this invention relates to event driven methods and systems for receiving, converting, tracking and publishing work-in-process status created from manufacturing execution systems.
2. Description of Related Art
In firms such as semiconductor fabrication companies, there are numerous factories at various locations. Each of the factories may have multiple fabrication lines, employing different sets of processing equipment. Currently most fabrication lines are highly automated and controlled by manufacturing execution systems (MES). The MES receive scheduling information regarding the product to be manufactured. From the scheduling information, the MES schedules the necessary processing equipment and distribution of the raw materials. The MES then starts the manufacturing process and provides monitoring of the processing equipment. The progress of each stage of the manufacturing is logged and any exceptions, such as scrapping of a lot due to failure or contamination of the processing equipment, are further noted.
Traditionally, the status of progress of the product being manufactured is collected in a Work-in-Process (WIP) database. The collection occurs on a periodic basis (daily). Each of the fabrication lines of the factories may have MES""s that are created by different companies and therefore do not have consistent interfaces to provide the status of the progress. Further, the communication link from the MES""s to the WIP database may fail resulting in loss of time in recovering the status. The WIP database must be processed to recover the pertinent information that is required to inform a customer of the progress of the fabrication of the product. Such information includes holding of fabrication of a lot, scrapping of a lot, or initiation of a new fabrication lot. The delay of the information causes delays in decision making on the part of a customer.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,243,612 (Rippenhagen, et al.) describes a system for scheduling processing of lots which are distributed among various processing system stations. Process scheduling is determined in accordance with lot specific composite ratios, which are a function of process scheduling factors. Such process scheduling factors include, for example, a processing system efficiency, customer factors, and market factors. Processing system efficiency is influenced by a hunger ratio which is a ratio of the time when a particular lot is needed by a next constraint resource in the lot""s process flow and the planned cycle time of a selected to such next constraint resource. Customer factors include a critical ratio of the lateness of a lot relative to the lot""s due date, and market factors reflect the relevant market priority of the lot. The process scheduling factors may be weighted to control their influence on the composite ratio.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,768,133 (Chen, et al) discusses a WIP/move management tool for semiconductor manufacturing plant that includes a shop floor control system. A server contains a data engine for extracting data, a load and transform data unit, and a database management storage unit. Data from the shop floor control system is supplied to the data engine in the server. The data engine can run the shop floor control system. The data engine supplies data received from the shop floor control system to the load and transform data unit. The load and transform data unit supplies data to the database management storage unit where the data is stored in a disk storage unit in storage space allocated to a conventional database management system employed for the purpose of management of data.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,971,585 (Dangat, et al.) teaches a computer implemented decision support tool that serves as a solver to generate a best can do (BCD) match between existing assets and demands across multiple manufacturing facilities. Boundaries are established by manufacturing specifications and process flows and business policies to determine which demands can be met in what time frame by microelectronics (wafer to card) or related (for example disk drives) manufacturing facilities. A set of actions or guidelines for manufacturing are established to incorporate into the manufacturing execution system to insure the delivery commitments are met in a timely fashion. The BCD tool has six major components, a material resource planning explode or xe2x80x9cbackwardsxe2x80x9d component, an optional start evaluator component, an optional due date for receipts evaluator, an optional capacity available versus needed component, an implode xe2x80x9cforwardxe2x80x9d or feasible plan component, and a post processing algorithm.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,049,742 (Milne, et al.) describes a computer-implemented decision-support tool. The decision support tool serves as a solver to generate a projected supply planning (PSP) or estimated supply planning (ESP) match between existing assets and demands across multiple manufacturing facilities. Boundaries are established by the manufacturing specifications and process flows and business policies to determine what supply can be provided over what time-frame by manufacturing. These boundaries establish a set of actions or guidelines for manufacturing to incorporate into their manufacturing execution system to ensure that the delivery commitments are met in a timely fashion.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,128,588 (Chacon) teaches an integrated wafer fabrication production characterization and scheduling system. The integrated wafer fabrication production characterization and scheduling system incorporates a manufacturing execution system with a scheduling system based on simulation. The integrated characterization/scheduling system provides manufacturing with a simulation tool integrated with the manufacturing execution system to evaluate proposed production control logic as a practical alternative to expensive experimentation on actual production system. Furthermore, simulation models are used to create short term dispatch schedules to steer daily manufacturing operations towards planned performance goals.
An object of this invention is to provide a system to collect process execution status data such as work-in-process information from multiple manufacturing execution systems controlling multiple fabrication lines of factories of a firm.
Another object of this invention is to provide a system to convert and encapsulate the process execution status data with a common standard formatting.
Further, another object of this invention is to publish the process execution status data to subscribers of specific subjects of the process execution status data.
Still further, another object of this invention is to certify publication and receipt by subscribers of the process execution status data.
Even still further, an object of this invention is to provide a periodic diagnostic messaging between elements processing and publishing the process execution status data.
Still, another object of this invention is to provide a balancing of loading of elements processing and publishing the process execution status data by distributing the scheduling of the processing and publishing with different elements.
To accomplish at least one of these objects and other objects, a process monitor system is in communication with a process execution system such as a manufacturing execution system to receive process execution status data (work-in-process status) and publish compile and publish the process execution status data to subscribers. The process monitor system has a publication device, in communication with the process execution system for receiving the process execution status data (stage change). The process execution status data is transmitted to the publication device when an event of the process causes a change in the process execution status data. The publication device then converts and encapsulates the process execution status data to a standardized format for publication. The communications adaptor encapsulates the process execution status data with metadata identifying data types and data structures of the process execution status data.
The process monitor system has at least one message certification processor. Each message certification processor is in communication with the publication device to receive the converted and encapsulated process execution status data. Each message certification processor then logs receipt of the converted and encapsulated process execution status data and verifies receipt by each subscriber of the converted and encapsulated process execution status data. The message certification processor maintains message ledger files for logging publication and receipt of the converted and encapsulated process execution status data.
The process monitor system has at least one status tracking device. Each status tracking device is in communication with the publication device to receive the converted and encapsulated process execution status data. Each status tracking device reviews the encapsulation information of designated converted and encapsulated process execution status data and from the designated encapsulation information compiles and transfers the designated converted and encapsulated process information to the subscribers.
The status tracking device is in communication with the message certification processor to identify subscribers for each converted and encapsulated process execution status data for the logging of publishing and receipt of the converted and encapsulated process execution status data.
An execution status subscriber database is in communication with the status tracking device and the message certification processor to receive and provide data records identifying subscribers. Further, each of the subscriber""s information includes the encapsulation information identifying the converted and encapsulated process execution status data the subscribers are to receive.
The message certification processors and the status tracking devices each form a distributed queue of processors. One of the message certification processors and one of the status tracking devices is designated a scheduling processor to balance a loading respectively of all of the message certification processors and all of the status tracking devices.
The process monitor system, further, includes an exception monitor. The exception monitor is in communication with the publication device, each of the message certification processors, and each of the status tracking devices to record all exception errors that occur and to provide an alarm message when exception error occurs. An autonomous monitoring device is in communication with the publication device, each of the message certification processors, and each of the status tracking devices to monitor a diagnostic message generated by the publication device, each of the message certification processors, and each of the status tracking devices. The diagnostic message periodically indicates an operational state of the publication device, each of the message certification processors, and each of the status tracking devices and if the operational state indicates a failure and then transmits a failure alarm.
If any of the message certification processors or status tracking devices indicates an operational state having a failure, the message certification processor or the status tracking device designated as the scheduler reassigns the converted and encapsulated process execution status data to surviving message certification processors or status tracking devices of the group including the failed element.
An archiving device is included in the process monitor system and is connected to the publication device, each of the message certification processors, and each of the status tracking devices. The archiving device periodically archives the process execution status data, a listing of the subscribers, each logged receipt and verified receipt.